Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 295 Brothers

Xu Sheng said, "I don't know where the problem is right now, but my intuition tells me there is a problem."

“I’ll go to the Duke’s mansion tomorrow and ask. But you, you and Ninth Brother aren’t close enough for you to risk your life for him, are you?” Nianyao crossed her arms over her neck: “Breaking out of prison under the emperor’s nose, that’s a matter of losing your head.”

Xu Sheng was quite honest: "Ninth Brother and I are really not that close. I just simply don't like An Liangchen and don't want to do what he wants."

Nianyao was incredulous: "Ninth Brother's matter is most likely Liang Qingcheng's doing, it can't be blamed on Crown Prince An. You came all this way to meddle in Ninth Brother's family affairs just because you don't like Crown Prince An? Did Crown Prince An dig up your family's ancestral graves?"

Xu Sheng scoffed: "My family's ancestral grave is your mother-in-law's grave. Don't you know whether he dug it up or not?"

Nianyao's expression changed slightly, and she was about to lose her temper when she saw Xu Sheng pulling down her clothes. She instinctively covered her eyes: "What are you trying to do..."

Xu Sheng had a white cloth wrapped around his chest, and there were obvious bloodstains seeping through his left breast. He was cunning, slippery, and skilled in martial arts; who could possibly harm him?

Nianyao lowered her hand: "So you've finally met your match?"

Xu Sheng didn't expect Nian Yao to comfort him. He straightened his clothes and said in a slightly cold tone, "An Liangchen sent people to kill me."

Nianyao asked, "What grudge do you two have?"

Xu Sheng said, "Guess?"

Nianyao said, "All things in the world are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. If you dislike him, of course he will dislike you too."

Xu Sheng said, "...An Liangchen is not a good person. Originally, it had nothing to do with me. But he sent people to hunt me down and injured me. If I didn't hold it against him, I would seem like a coward. He wants to unify the world, but I will not let him have his way."

Nianyao stared at him for a while, then suddenly got up, opened the window and looked out. The courtyard was empty, with only the lanterns flickering on and off.

Nianyao closed the window and extinguished the candle, leaving only a dim nightlight in the corner. She sat back down and whispered, "You mean, An Liangchen thinks you are an obstacle to his unification of the world, so he sent someone to kill you?"

Xu Sheng nodded.

Nianyao: "So what do you want to do? Destroy Dongyang? Kill him?"

Xu Sheng said, "Why not? Throughout history, the world has always belonged to the capable. An Liangchen thinks he can do it, so why can't others?"

Nianyao asked, "Who are the others?"

Xu Sheng said, "Just think of me."

Should it be him? But Xue Yunting said the most suitable person was Luo An. And Luo An didn't seem to want a conflict between the two countries.

Nianyao thought for a moment: "Did Luo An mention a thirty-year peace treaty before?"

Xu Sheng said, "He lied to me. He neither found my birth certificate nor retrieved my remains from the Bohai Sea, so it doesn't count with me."

Even if I agree, will Nan Yue agree? Do you really think he can control An Liangchen? That's just wishful thinking on Luo An's part.

Is war unavoidable? And is it a matter of life and death? Then what is Xu Sheng's purpose in telling her all this?

Nianyao suddenly sensed something was wrong: "An Liangchen sent people to kill you, and you still dare to come to Bianjing?"

Xu Sheng said, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."

Nianyao asked, "Who are you trying to trap?"

Xu Sheng hinted, "I share the same fate as Ninth Brother. It's no different for An Liangchen to imprison Ninth Brother than for An Liangchen to send someone to kill me."

With a deafening boom, it felt like a thunderclap had struck Nianyao: If that were the case, then Qin Jiu's affair wouldn't just be a matter of romantic love. All the illogical aspects suddenly made sense.

Xu Sheng looked at Nian Yao's surprised and doubtful expression: "Do you believe Ninth Brother?"

Nianyao readily agreed: "Of course."

Xu Sheng said, "I believe him too. I believe he would never harm you. The dead cannot be brought back to life. It's best to keep An Jingchen's matter a secret. There's no reason for Ninth Brother to tell Luo An on his own initiative. Even if Ninth Brother did tell Luo An at your request, he shouldn't have chosen to do so when he was in prison and your position in Bianjing was unstable."

He would probably casually mention it during a game of chess with Luo An on a sunny day. If Luo An acted strangely, he would find a way to smooth things over for you. Right now, you're out of luck. You've known Ninth Brother for years; have you ever seen him make such a foolish mistake repeatedly?

Nianyao imagined the scene Xu Sheng described, first nodding and then shaking her head.

Xu Sheng suggested, "Instead of asking at the Duke's mansion, why don't you ask Luo An directly?"

Nianyao refused: "No, he's just a doctor."

Xu Sheng seemed somewhat disappointed in his son, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "I'm leaving now. If you need to find me, go to Chongyang Temple."

Xu Sheng risked his life to go to Bianjing just to save Qin Jiu? Qin Jiu has already given away all his wealth, yet he's still so important to Xu Sheng and Nan Yue?

Nianyao tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly. She got up early in the morning and saw An Qile and Meng Dong talking as soon as she left Peach Blossom Garden.

Meng Dong asked gently, "Nianyao, did you sleep well last night?"

Nianyao rubbed her eyes and yawned widely: "Not so good. A brother came to see me last night and said he missed the days of the Great River Gang. Now I don't know if disbanding the Great River Gang was the right thing to do or the wrong thing?"

An Qile and Meng Dong exchanged glances, both looking somewhat relaxed.

An Qile said, "Yesterday when I came back, I saw someone climb over the courtyard wall and go out. That person was quite skilled in martial arts, and even the two guards couldn't catch him. It turns out he was one of the brothers from Chongming Island. Nianyao will be living here from now on, and the brothers from Chongming Island will be our brothers. They can come and go through the main gate. It would be troublesome if they were caught and sent to the government as some kind of scoundrel."

Nianyao replied, "Uncle is right. We brothers on Chongming Island are used to climbing over walls and entering courtyards, and we can't change that habit all at once."

An Qile laughed heartily: "It's alright, it's alright, you get used to it after living in Bianjing for a while."

Nianyao said, "I'm sorry to have worried you, Uncle. Uncle, I want to ask you something."

An Qile asked, "Do you want to ask about Qin Jiu?"

Nianyao praised, "Uncle is truly prescient. Ninth Brother's family affairs have actually escalated to the Ministry of Justice. The laws of Dongyang are strict, and we, from a bandit background, are really not used to them."

An Qile said earnestly, "The Dahe Gang does nothing immoral or immoral, and does business honestly. How could they be a bandit gang? Our Nianyao is a true heroine who stands tall and proud."

As for Qin Jiu, he hadn't treated the princess well, and he'd been causing trouble by indulging in debauchery right under her nose. The Duke of Liang specifically instructed the Crown Prince to make sure he suffered a lesson, lest his maternal family appear weak and the princess be bullied without recourse.

Xu Sheng said it was An Liangchen and Guan Qinjiu, while An Qile said it was the Duke of Liang's intention. Who is telling the truth?

An Qile comforted him, "Don't worry, the Duke of Liang has always doted on his daughter. He won't really do anything to his son-in-law. At most, he'll be locked up for a few days and then released."

Nianyao asked, "Can I see Ninth Brother?"

An Qile looked troubled: "According to the laws of Dongyang, prisoners who have not been interrogated are not allowed to be visited."

Nianyao said with a heavy heart, "Even if the deal falls through, our friendship remains. The Dahe Gang may have disbanded, but our brotherhood is still there. Since I respect Brother Qin Jiu, he will always be my brother."

Ninth Brother specially escorted me back to Bianjing. Now that he's in prison, if I, as his brother, don't even visit him, how will I face him when he gets out?

Meng Dong looked at An Qile and advised, "Nianyao, Qin Jiu is in the eye of the storm right now. If you go to visit him now, there will inevitably be gossip, which is not good for either of you. Wait a few more days until the rumors about Bian Jing have died down and no one is paying attention to this matter anymore, then we will go with you."